


The Mysterious Stranger

by River_Nightrunner



Series: Ginger the Lone Courier [1]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 3
Genre: Crush at First Sight, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, First Kiss, First Meetings, Friendship, Rescue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-29
Updated: 2017-11-29
Packaged: 2019-02-08 12:04:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12864150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/River_Nightrunner/pseuds/River_Nightrunner
Summary: Trapped by angry super mutants and already bleeding heavily Lou's pretty sure he's looted his last mutant encampment. That is until a lovely stranger with no name steps in with a rifle in her hands and a dog at her heels.





	The Mysterious Stranger

It was dark in spite of the sunny afternoon in the old ramshackle convenience store. Dust and bits of plaster were falling from the ceiling with every blow the super mutants landed against the door that Lou had managed to barricade before crawling to the back of the store.

Now he struggled to focus his vision enough to reload his rifle. They'd be on him soon. He wasn't going to make it out of this store alive, he knew that. But he could take as many of those big green bastards with him as possible.

Usually the mutants left his kind alone but he'd gotten brazen and they'd caught him looting one of their makeshift camps. Was it worth it? He couldn't decide but lately he hadn't found much of life worth living anyway. After almost two hundred years of life it was getting to look awful pointless. Surviving just to survive was boring.

"Fuck it," he groaned under his breath, he was losing a lot of blood through the holes the beasties had already managed to put in him. The pounding paused and he almost jumped when the gunfire started. They must be shooting threw the door, good. He'd hate to bleed out before killing at least one more of them.

 

* * *

 

The lens of her scope was a little scratched but that was fine, it was still perfectly functional. Three Super Mutants were just a little ways up the road trying to force their way into a store. She figured they must have some poor wastelander trapped inside.

Crystal blue eyes flicked over to the dog at her side. He was also lying on his belly, watching with anticipation.

"What do you think boy? Only one of them is a Brute… can we take 'em?" she asked the dog she'd found a few weeks ago.

Dogmeat licked his muzzle and she nodded, a few ginger hairs escaping from her hairclip and falling around her face. She ignored them and took aim, taking her time. She sighted in on the Brute first since it was going to be the biggest pain in the ass and pulled the trigger.

She hated that they could take more than one bullet to the face without going down. Somehow that just didn't seem fair. All three mutants paused and turned, scanning the road with confusion. The Lone Wanderer jumped to her feet and slung her sniper rifle over her shoulders.

The petite girl grinned like a crazy person and skillfully scooped up her Chinese Assault Rifle, expertly spraying bullets over the mutants. The Brute fell before his Gatling gun finished warming up and the other two charged at her with shitty rifles in hand.

"Charge!" she yelled and ran at them, laughing with her dog at her heels.

 

* * *

 

The first thing Lucifer felt was soreness radiating from his thigh and chest. He took a deep breath and cracked open his eyelids. An angel framed in warm light was looking down at him. Except her eyes were closed and the light was somewhere beyond the curtain of her long ginger hair.

He blinked, confused. He had honestly been expecting to go to hell with all he'd done in his long life as a mercenary. You don't spend a hundred and eighty years as a merc and scavenger without doing a few horrible things. She was way too lovely to be a demon…wasn't she? He didn't feel dead either, he still hurt. Of course hell wasn't supposed to be comfortable so maybe he was dead but he was really starting to doubt that. Angels weren't supposed to have scars either from what he'd heard but she had a pale one over her left eyebrow.

If she was the one that was going to torture him through eternity than that was just fine with him. She was the prettiest thing he'd seen in over a decade.

Lou turned his head slightly when a "huff" sounded somewhere outside his range of vision and he spotted a dog laying a few feet away, two mismatched eyes locked on him. The dog thumped his tail once but didn't move another muscle.

Lou figured he must be in hell, there was a hell hound right there. It's muzzle was covered in blood and it's fur was singed in place.

Lou shifted his head back up to his angelic demon and reached up stiffly. His shoulder screamed in protest and it was a slow process but worth it when his fingers slid over her smooth warm cheek. Her eyes fluttered open. The bluest he'd ever seen.

She blinked sleepily and tipped her head back, cracking her neck from side to side. She looked back down at him and a smile pulled up one corner of her red mouth.

"Good morning sunshine," she whispered.

Lou blinked at her. When she'd moved her hair had pulled out of the way enough to show him he was still in the convenience store. Was it possible that he'd survived? Surly this girl didn't take on three super mutants all on her own.

"Am I dead?" he choked, his throat felt like sandpaper.

"No, but you gave it a pretty good shot. Maybe next time," she told him with a wink, producing a bottle of purified water. She gently picked his head up from her lap and held the bottle to his lips. Lou drank deeply, gratefully. Confused by her generosity.

When the bottle was empty she tossed it across the room. She settled his head back down on her lap and brushed the few blond stands of hair he had left out of his face.

"How do you feel?"

"Shitty,"

She nodded, "I'm not surprised, I pulled six bullets out of you. You're lucky to be alive."

"Why did you?" Lou asked and when she frowned he explained, "Most people wouldn't go out of their way to help a stranger, especially a strange ghoul. Why would you?"

She smiled softly, "Seemed like a good idea at the time. You have been asleep for two days by the way."

"Who are you?" he asked in a weird sort of awe as she prepped a needle full of Med-X.

"I'm just a girl making my way in the wasteland."

Lou brushed a hand through her hair. "What's your name?"

"My name is not something that's important. We probably won't meet again anyway." She gave him two full doses of the pain killing drug and expertly applied three stimpaks. "You should be stiff but healthy enough to travel by midnight," she told him. She got up carefully, taking care to move his jacket under his head.

"Stay out of trouble beautiful." She slung a traveling pack over her shoulders, winked, grinned down at him, and then she was gone like a ghost in the wasteland.

* * *

 

Lou spent an extra two days in the old store recuperating. He used the time to repair his equipment and do some other maintenance. After taking a careful inventory of his things he found that he was missing 35 caps and forty .308 rounds. It was exactly half of what he'd been carrying.

He knew he should be angry with a little red head for stealing his shit but he wasn't. He'd checked his wounds and he owed her much more than what she'd taken. The kid must be gifted with medicine because he really should be dead.

Finally as the sun started to set over the wastes Lou hoisted his bag and started on the long trek towards Big Town. He was already late and being that he was the only one that would trade with them right now he felt obligated to keep a tight schedule.

When he strolled over the bridge he noticed a couple things different about Big Town. The guard looked almost relaxed and the residents were working to remove a bunch of dead super mutants from the middle of town.

Lou spotted a dark skinned woman in a red jump suit and walked up behind her.

"Hey, looks like you kids went to war," he greeted.

Red turned and grinned at him. "We did! It was amazing! We didn't lose a single person and all thanks to our friend." Red looked around and pointed to a person on the other side of town. A familiar petite female with bright ginger hair and a dog sitting loyally at her feet.

"Her?" Lou asked, surprised.

"I know she doesn't look that tough but trust me. Yesterday before dawn she showed up at the old Germantown Police Station and rescued me and Shorty from the mutants. Then she escorted us back and helped us fight off the mutants. I don't think they'll be back any time soon!" Red was gushing.

Ginger, as Lou was starting to call her in his head, and talking to Flash. The young man was smiling at her, leaning forward in a way that said he had a claim on her. Ginger didn't seem as welcoming to the attention though because while she was smiling she was also talking fast. Her lip forming words that Lou couldn't hear but he assumed they were being used to fend off the boys advances.

Flash frowned and asked something that made little Ginger glance around wildly. Her eyes locked onto Lou standing there and she said something in reply, pointing to the ghoul. Flash got a look of nothing less than astonishment and mouthed _"him?"_

Ginger smiled and nodded, waving at Lou enthusiastically. Lou gave her a smile and a salute in greeting. Ginger jogged towards him with purpose; she was smiling while Flash gaped at her back. As she got closer Lou saw the pleading in her eyes.

Ginger didn't stop until they were boot to boot and her fingers were curling into his merchant's armored jacket. She trailed a finger down his chest, speaking quickly and quietly.

"I'll give back everything I took and more if you play along okay?"

Lou smiled down at her, catching on. He slid a hand along her waist and stole a glance at Flash. The kid looked disgusted and devastated and disbelieving all at the same time.

"Are we new lovers?" he whispered, "Here he comes, and he doesn't believe it kid."

"We're engaged, I'll make it worth it. Just save me please." she whispered as Flash approached them with a clearing of his throat.

"Hey, I didn't realize you where… _ahem_ …traveling with my girl," Flash was challenging his fake relationship with the ginger and Lou found it oddly offensive. He'd done business with Big Town for a long time and while these kids were shy around him he'd never taken any of them as bigots.

Lou wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. "I'm sorry kid but I'm afraid she's mine. We're gettin' married."

"When?" Flash demanded.

"Next month," Lou answered easily. "At the Church of Atom in Megaton. We were planning on a small ceremony but I don't think my lovely fiancé would mind a few more guest if you and the others want to attend. Isn't that right sweetheart?" Lou asked, looking down at her.

Ginger smiled up at him and she was fighting hard not to look surprised. Flash saw it two and scowled. "I don't believe this. Come on babe, this is a weird joke. Why are you playin hard to get with me today?"

Flash tried to reach for her hand, probably to drag her off but Lou was faster. He didn't think about what he was doing and he didn't give Ginger a chance to protest. The ghoul slid a hand into her hair and dipped her backwards, bringing her mouth to his in a smooth motion.

The girl in his arms stiffened for just a second and then kissed him back. She was soft and warm and for just the few seconds that the kiss lasted Lucifer half believed she was his.

He drew her back to a vertical standing point but he kept her close. Ginger held on to him, a goofy little smile on her face. Flash swore and stalked off. A quick glance around let them know that there were quite a few other people gawking at them too.

"We should get out of here." Ginger whispered.

"I need to do my trading, we can leave right after I'm done… _honey_." He grinned.

Ginger grinned back as sweet as any woman looking up at the man she loved. "If you try anything funny I'll shoot you with my .45,"

"Fair enough."

Lou spent hours trading and his new bride-to-be spent those hours hiding from curious residents. By the time the ghoul was finished it was well past sunset and Ginger had found him counting his caps in Red's Clinic.

"Hey beautiful," she greeted, strolling and glancing around. "I see we're alone."

"Red said we could have the clinic to ourselves as a wedding gift," Lou chuckled. "You are great for business. People bought all kinds of crap just so they could loiter around and ask questions about us. Wish I still had my pack Brahmin, damn Mutants ate her."

"I'm so sorry, were you close?"

"Nah, I learned a long time ago not to get attached. Right mutt," he asked the dog sitting at her heels. Dogmeat gave him a lopsided grin and wagged his tail.

She giggled, "Well at least people won't notice right away when we're gone."

"Gone?"

"Well yeah, I mean it's not like we're actually gonna sleep together." Ginger fixed him with the kind of warning look that only a woman can give. "I have that .45 remember,"

Lou dragged a bedroll out of what was left of his pack and snapped it out. "Do what you want smoothskin but for your lie to stick we should leave together." He gave her a toothy grin. "Publicly. Probably even hand in hand…for show of course."

She glared at him but then sighed, defeated. "Of course. You were hurt pretty bad, you sure you don't want a cot?"

Lou flopped onto his makeshift bed and propped his hands behind his head. "Nah, I heal quick and you aren't a horrible doctor. Thanks, by the way."

She waved him off and pulled out her own thread bare sleeping bag. She spread hers out over the cot next to the wall and her mangy looking dog wasted no time at all in claiming the sleeping area.

"I'm kicking you to the end as soon as I'm ready for bed," she warned him. The dog looked at her out of the corner of his eye and stretched out like he was purposely trying to take up as much space as possible.

"So…" she drawled after a few moments of silence. "I hear people are calling me Ginger now,"

Lou gave her a lopsided smile. "Is that so?"

She chuckled and pulled a bottle of vodka out of a side pocket on her travel pack. "Yeah, I hear you told them that was my name."

"We can't be engaged if I don't know your name. I did some fishing though and as far as I can tell nobody in town knows your name. "

Ginger pulled the cork from the bottle and offered it to him. "Nobody in the wasteland knows my name. Nobody except maybe my dad if he's still alive."

Lou accepted the bottle; a little surprised she was giving him first dibs. "How long have you been out of the vault?"

Ginger gave a little start of surprise. "How do you know I came out of a vault?"

"I heard about you on the radio. It wasn't hard to figure out. You're too good a person to have grown up out here." He told her. "So how come you don't want anyone to know your name?"

Ginger took the bottle back from him and took a long swallow before she answered. "Because it's a pleasantry. Introductions are the first step to getting to know a person. Trouble is nobody stays. When I was chased out of the vault I left behind everyone I'd ever known and I almost died from a broken heart. I was lost inside and out those first few weeks out here in our beautiful capitol. It's easier this way. Nobody really knows me, I don't get close to anybody else."

Behind her the dog picked his head up and gave a huff that sounded indignant. She plopped down at the foot of Lou's bedroll and looked over her shoulder at the dog. "Except for you of course. You know my name, right Dogmeat."

He gave a single thump of his tail and lay back down.

Lou cocked an eyebrow. "Dogmeat?"

"That's the deal we made when I stumbled across him. We watch each other's backs but if he gets himself killed I will eat him. He has permission to eat me too. Really it depends who goes first." She grinned and Lou laughed out loud.

Ginger and Lou shared the whole bottle of vodka before they got done talking. Lou found the charismatic girl a welcome relief to the boredom that plagued his life. She saw the wasteland through very different eyes.

Ginger wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes after Lou finished his story about a Yao Guai who'd gotten its head stuck in a tire. She rolled the empty bottle across the floor and flopped down on Lou's bedroll.

"It's late," she mumbled. "And the cot is high and it's cold." She stretched out on his bedroll and smiled up at him. "I'm gonna sleep here."

Lou chuckled and laid back with his head on his travel pack. "Whatever floats your boat smoothskin."

"Remember," she growled half asleep. ".45"

"I remember." He assured her, grinning.

* * *

 

By the time dawn broke over the horizon Ginger had curled against him and her head was resting on his chest. Her breath was warm on his neck. Lou carefully disentangled himself from her and stood, stretching his back.

He gave her a few more minutes and then tapped her boots. Her eyes snapped open and Lou blinked into the barrel of a .45.

He didn't know where she'd been keeping it but he respected her survival instincts. Ginger blinked a few times while Lou stood frozen in place. The girl smiled when she remember where she was and she put her gun down.

"Morning already?" She asked like she hadn't just held a gun to his face. "Good, let get out of here,"

They left together, hand in hand in case anyone was watching. As soon as they were out of sight Ginger dropped his hand and picked up the pace. Lou kept up easily with his longer legs.

"Where are you headed next?" Lou asked an hour later as she fiddled with the map on her Pipboy.

"Gridershade, I have some stuff to deliver. Then I'm going to shoot over and see a ghoul named Murphy. After that…it depends of how I'm feeling. You?"

Lou sighed. He was kinda hoping for an invitation. "I have some business in Megaton and then I'll probably head towards D.C. I have a couple clients I haven't seen in a while."

It wasn't long before they parted ways. The girl waved with that cocky grin on her face from a distance and then she and her dog were gone. It was a damnedest thing but Lou was sad to see her go.

* * *

 

It was six weeks before Lou saw her again. He'd been following her exploits on the radio though. He may have just heard that Ginger had saved Riley's Rangers off the top of a mutant infested building. And he may have heard that she was last seen heading for Rivet City.

Of course it was purely coincidence that he was climbing the rusted staircase to the bridge now. Lou hit the intercom button and a young female voice asked his business.

"It's Lou. I got some shit to trade, lower the gate will ya Sam?"

The guard laughed. "Alright, hold on."

He'd know the girl for a year or so. By the time he made it through the metros it was always early evening so Sam was usually on duty when he rolled into town. She was a smart girl and not too good to joke with a friendly ghoul once in awhile.

"Hey," she greeted when he was within earshot. "How's the world old man?"

"About as good as it ever is. Say, I wonder if a friend of mine is in town." Lou asked, trying to sound like he didn't really care. "A girl. tiny thing. Orange hair and traveling with a dog."

"You mean 101?" Sam asked and Lou nodded. Sam expression turned uncomfortable. "She's been here a couple days but…"

"What?"

"This morning she helped Chief Harkness take care of a security issue and she got hurt real bad. She's in the medical bay now."

Lou swallowed the sudden lump in his throat and thanked the girl for the information. Lou took was stairs two at a time and practically ran to the medical room. The doctor wasn't there but Harkness was, sitting in a folding chair next to a bed. A bed with a sleeping girl in it.

When the man saw him he stood. "Doc's not here. He'll be back in an hour or so."

"I don't need a Doc. What happened to Ginger?"

"Her name is Ginger?" the security chief asked with surprise.

"Not really. That's what I call her. What happened?" Lou asked again. Dropping his pack on the floor and stepping inside.

Harkness stepped between the ghoul and the sleeping woman. "There was a fight this morning while she and I were attempting to toss some commonwealth scum out of Rivet City. She got tossed over a railing, doctor says she needs rest."

Lou put his hands up. "I'm not here to hurt her. She saved my life a few weeks back and she stayed until I was up and about. I was thinkin' maybe I could return the favor if you don't mind."

Harkness opened his mouth to refuse but Dogmeat pushed past the man legs and sniffed Lou's boots. He wagged his tail and licked the ghoul's fingers. Lou scratched the dog's ears and looked at Harkness.

Harkness just gawked. "That mutt has been growling at me all day."

"Maybe he likes ghouls,"

"Yeah," Harkness drawled and then sighed. "Alright Lou, but if she wakes up before I get back from rounds will you tell her I want to see her. The kid as a way of disappearing. She's like a ghost."

Lou nodded as he took over Harknesses empty Chair. "I've noticed,"

Dogmeat jumped up onto the foot of the bed and laid down next to his mistress.

Ginger slept for two more hours before a soft groan got Lou's attention. He waited, watching her and when her eyes slid open he released a breath he hadn't know he'd been holding.

"Hey Ginger," he greeted softly and she turned her head towards him.

"Hey," she smiled warmly. "If it isn't my favorite ghoul. What are you doing in Rivet City?"

"Heard you were here," he confessed. "I was hoping to buy to a drink, give you the opportunity to steal me blind again but looks like you might not be up to it,"

"I'm always up to stealing a nice man blind," Ginger laughed but the sound turned into a coughing fit. Lou helped her sit up and lifted a bottle of water from the nightstand to her lips. She drank a few mouthfuls and then pushed his hand away.

She looked down at the bloody bandages covering her torso and grimaced. "Well…I got the fuck beat out of me."

"Harkness said you got thrown over a railing."

"Did he?" She leaned forward to see if there was anyone around and dropped her voice. "I did, over a railing and a crossed the room. I tell ya Lou, don't try hand to hand combat with an android."

"Kid I think you hit your head too hard," Lou told her.

"I did, and a lot of other things too but the way I feel. Can you keep a secret?" she asked, pain written across her face.

"For you? Sure,"

She pointed, "Hand me my bag."

Lou did as she asked him and watched as she pawed through her stuff. Finally she found what she was looking for and pulled a bottle of brightly glowing water. She kept her eyes on him as she unscrewed the cap and lifted it to her parched mouth.

Lou grabbed her wrist, eyes wide. "What the hell are you doing? You're already hurt and you're going to drink that? I have purified water with me if you don't trust Rivet City water."

"That's not it," she told him and pointed to a long scratch on her cheek. "Just watch,"

Lou swallowed but let go of her. Ginger lifted the bottle again and drank, downing the whole thing while the Pipboy on her arm ticked furiously. Lou went from concerned for her sanity to completely floored as the cut on her cheek knitted together slowly and the dried blood flaked away from her skin.

"What the hell?" he whispered in amazement.

Ginger gave him a tired grin. "Now you know. And if you tell anyone I'll hunt you down."

"What was that? Is that a vault thing?"

"No," she laughed the pain gone from her voice. "I needed caps so I helped a crazy scientist with a few experiments. Turns out one had side effects. Radiation heals me just like a ghoul. Well, slower but you get the Idea. I'm all set up to 600 rads. never tried more than that."

Lou just gaped at her and she gave a little snort, "Hell I was up to 200 when I got here. That's probably why I'm not dead. I would be a lot better now but they must have flushed me out while I was unconscious. Why are you here anyway? Besides to ask me for a drink."

If Lou could still blush he would be. "Well, I heard you were hurt. I like you kid, you make the wasteland interestin'. Besides, you sat with me when I was almost dead. Figure you deserved the same from me."

Ginger smiled, "Thanks. Now get out while I get dressed."

Lou obeyed and a few minutes later she emerged in Merc Veteran armor.

"Harkness wants to see you before you take off,"

"Well that sucks. I'll catch him next time." Ginger turned to Lou and grinned, holding out her hand. Lou took it and she pulled in into a warm hug. "I have something I have to do but I'll be back in a day or two. If you're still here we can have that drink,"

Lou was surprised but he hugged her back. "You sure you don't need any help? Or maybe have that drink now? You should probably take it easy."

"Nah, what doesn't kill us makes us stronger right?" she pulled back and started walking backwards. Lou realized her pack was over her shoulder. "And as much as I would love you get trashed with you tonight I've got places to go… Things to kill…" Ginger grinned wide and she twitched her eyebrows. "Stuff to steal…"

Lou jerked and looked down at himself, running his hands over his pockets. His left hand touched paper and he looked up only to find that she'd vanished. Lou shook his head and pulled the folded note out of his pocket.

_Hey beautiful,_

 

_I'll be back in two days. You owe me a drink and to prove I'm not just ditching you I'll let you in on a secret. Can you guess what it is?_

 

_-Anna-_

Lou read the note twice to be sure he understood and then started laughing. Two days? Alright, he could wait two days. And when she wandered back in from where ever she'd gone this time he'd buy he a drink before she vanished. And maybe, just maybe, he could convince her to let an old ghoul tag along. Because that mysterious stranger from vault 101 made life interesting and he could do with a little bit of interesting.

**Author's Note:**

> Lou and Ginger have been getting into trouble for a long time over in Fanfiction. They thought they might like to give AO3 a little look see.


End file.
